One of the things that cracks me up the most about the entrance of Meghan Markle is that the Duchess of Cambridge’s most loyal defenders get super-touchy about how there should be NO comparison. Like, can’t two women close in age marry two brothers close in age and never be mentioned in the same breath??!?!?! So dumb. Of course there will be comparisons – everything will be compared, from their jewelry, their clothes, their work schedules, their weddings, everything. It’s going to get even more difficult for Kate’s most loyal defenders when Meghan and Kate do events together, or when one of them comes in as a replacement for the other at various events. Speaking of… Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will replace the Cambridges at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April. *cough*
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could be set to fill the shoes of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHGM). The week-long event, due to be attended by William and Kate, takes place in April, which will coincide with the time that the Duchess of Cambridge is due to give birth to her third child.
The engagement this year is regarded as a particularly crucial one, with around 52 heads of state flying in for what is expected to be the largest summit in the event’s 25-year history. With Brexit edging ever closer, it’s thought that the presence of the royals will help ease the UK into better trade talks with non-Brexit countries.
Meghan, 36, now has a string of royal engagements under her belt and this could prove the last major event before the couple wed on the 19th May in Windsor. The couple are already expected to attend the Commonwealth Day service on 12th March. The grand event, which includes formal dinners galore, is also a chance for the former Suits star to fully immerse herself in the Commonwealth, which remains a key talking point for the British monarchy. The CHGM was originally scheduled to take place in the South Pacific Ocean island of Vanuatu but cyclone pam saw it relocated to UK shores.
Already in attendance are the Queen and Prince Charles, who will host several events during the week. The Prime Minister has already expressed how vital the conference could be for the UK’s relations with the rest of the world.
It was believed that the Queen was pro-Brexit because she believed in strengthening Commonwealth ties, meaning she (allegedly) felt that the British “empire” was more important than creating an alliance with European countries. This means that the royal family will be expected to “shore up” these Commonwealth ties and really wine and dine all of the various countries’ leaders just so those countries won’t suddenly decide to “leave” the empire.
This is the kind of soft-diplomacy two-step that Prince Charles tries to master and has mastered to some degree, and it’s the kind of thing in which William is still woefully unmasterful. I guess Meghan and Harry will be good substitutes though, Meghan especially. She’s a quick study, smart and capable. I expect her to be very impressive during this week. And I expect Will and Kate to go dark for the most part for six months following the birth of their third child, so we’ll probably be seeing a lot of Harry and Meghan as they “take over” Will and Kate’s schedule.
Photos courtesy of WENN, PCN, Bacckgrid.
Events like this make me think it would be a good idea for Meghan to take a course in British history and economics. I’d do it if I were her, anyway. None of the royals are expected to have expertise in any of these fields – simply being British is enough. But Meghan is an American AND a woman of color, so expectations will be much higher for her, of course.
I’m sure Meghan is studying up on all things British.
I can’t see a woman that was working from a teenager, sitting still.
@Peggy – I agree. Meghan seems like the type to do her homework!
For what it’s worth, Meghan has a degree in International Relations.
From Northwestern!
And Meghan is mutual friends with Canadian Prime Ministers current and past plus working in Canada for several years. Due to that, because intellectual studies don’t equal living and experiencing a culture, I think she’s a great asset here.
I am a big fan of Meghan’s, but I am legitimately confused by this comment. Canada and the UK do not at all have the same culture.
…..Canada is a Commonwealth country so she already has one significant part of the of the event covered. This years event will be all about Commonwealth/UK trade deals (that were effectively cut off when the UK joined the EU). Canada is a big trade market.
And I think she worked for a while in a US embassy or consulate in Latin America after she graduated from Northwestern. So she would know a thing or two about doing the diplomatic shuffle.
What? Now she’s buds with prime ministers past and present? Somehow I have difficulty picturing her hanging out with the likes of Steven Harper and Jean Chrétien. Maybe Mulroneys son Ben who works for ET or Trudeaus wife the yoga teacher. She is an actress, not a politician and she’s not going to change the world. Sorry.
@Tessy, Meghan’s professional association with Justin Trudeau is through her work as an ambassador to both for the UN and for WVC. On a personal level, she is friends with Justin Trudeau through Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau. Nobody said Meghan is going to save the world, no one has ever saved the world except the Lord Jesus. But Meghan has not only the education, but also the experience needed to be a productive participant in CHOGM if given the opportunity (as demonstrated by her work at WVC and UN). I strongly believe that Harry not only fell in love with Meghan for her good looks but also because she is smart. I also believe that Harry’s family seal of approval for Meghan was based on a number of things and I believe some of those were because Harry was in love with her and she made him happy and also because of her impressive resume; they knew she had the chops required to do the job. I see how hard it is for Meghan’s detractors to even remotely see anything good in this gal, but Meghan is indeed smart and has a very good head on those shoulders and, I believe her and Harry will be a force to reckon with in the future.
Don’t believe Princess Mary had to do anything like that and she’s going to be Queen. Time and experience is all that is required; Americans are Anglophiles anyway.
No, certainly not a requirement, but it wouldn’t hurt and could actually be a great help to her. I know that my confidence soars when I feel well-versed in a subject that’s relevant to my work.
Jessica, not all are, I’d say 50/50!!
Well if she is to stay here as a permanent she will (I assume) be required to pass the life in the UK test…which requires one to learn all sorts of random things about the UK – wouldn’t be surprised if she will consequently know more about the UK than Kate
I don’t mind comparing the women except that every single time Meghan is praised and Kate excoriated. LIke Meghan will save Britain from itself with her amazing social skills and sparkly smile!! Not Charles!! Not Camilla!! Not Wills or Kate!!! Meghan will!!!
Unreasonable expectations are being put on her. And it is silly.
Nothing we say here will have any impact on the decisions the BRF takes in placing MM in positions of responsibility or public service. So, I hope when you say “unreasonable expectations are being put on her”, you mean the BRF is doing so. Also, I have yet to see one comment in any of the royal threads about MM that state or imply she will “save Britain”, whatever that means.
+1million
Yes!
Prince Henry Couple will be great! MM did a Foreign Service Tour for the US, which is a great deal of advantage on the world stage,
Off subject : Pres Trump seem in favour/positive of The Prince Henry Couple – and could give more power to the importance of The Prince Henrys’ in cementing the important relationship Btw GB and the US.
But it never is as simple as that. Certainly not here. It is always pitting them against each other in a way that pretty much never happens to men. And why is it so horrible that some feel like defending Kate. A lot of the critique against her is her looks and there’s no harm in pointing that out.
Perhaps it’s because people complain in one breath about it being ridiculous that Meghan is going to be compared to Kate for the rest of her life… and then in the next sentence try to explain why Meghan is so much ‘better’. Or how women have been historically pitted against each other, as though there’s an unspoken agreement that there’s only ONE spot for a prominent, successful woman.
A lot of the criticism against her is her work schedule. And there is no harm in pointing that out either.
I don’t think that’s the only criticism levelled at her.
I’ve seen people complain that she looks like a 50 year old, which…..I mean, I don’t think she has the charisma of Princess Diana (and I don’t think Meghan does either — I don’t think any of them do, not even Harry), but I don’t think she looks 50 either. I think both Kate and Meghan are equally pretty, just in different ways.
I do think she’s kind of lazy (as is William), but I don’t necessarily think she fails completely in the dressing department and I don’t think it’s implausible that William could genuinely love her.
But more often than not, criticism of Kate’s “work” schedule is used as a launch pad for digs at her hair, her smile, her make-up, her speaking voice, her dress sense and the like. It’s like “well, since Kate is ‘lazy,’ she’s earned all the bodysnark we can throw at her.”
People also compare William and Harry. Especially here. All the time. Nobody ever complains that they are pitted against each other.
I think it’s perfectly fair as they essentially have the same jobs at the moment. There’s more expectation on William and Kate because they are the future king and queen and it’s been pointed out many times that they suuuuuck. So that’s even worse. They have PR jobs and are horrible with their own PR. It seems to be getting better but considering their ages and status, they don’t work that much.
Their work ethic gets compared, but I don’t think their fashion choices, etc. get compared. I do understand that no one really cares about men’s fashion though.
They do perplexed. Their looks and clothing get compared all the time. I have complained about the same things about Kate well before Meghan and Harry were even dating so I am not about change my opinions just because Meghan appeared.
I stand by my criticisms because nothing has changed.
But it didn’t start out that way. I didn’t pay much attention to them, but I remember how flat W and K’s NYC trip was and how much people complained about them. I have no idea if the British papers reported on it but Kate made several social faux pas, and the commentary was scathing. One of the biggest complaints was she didn’t rep British designers and was dull and insipid at gatherings, and both lacked charm.
Her behavior at the 911 thing for some people is all they remember.
Notice they haven’t rushed back and no one is inviting them either.
I find it baffling that her fans just can’t consider that some of our criticisms aren’t pulled from thin air. They are from years of observation. Attacking Meghan to even some imaginary score is silly.
Like it or not the American market is a big part of the royal PR portfolio. It isn’t like our countries aren’t connected culturally.
We talk about William’s balding head all the time. Or rather, people here talk about it and how Harry looks so much better etc.
I’ve said before I don’t mind the comparisons about work schedule, job “readiness”, etc…. What I do mind is any sort of comparisons about looks, weight, etc… even fashion in some cases — It’s one thing to criticize Marilyn moments or amount spent on clothes, but I could see (and have seen) people getting ruthless about comparing overall style choices. And I’m really not looking forward to any mommy-shaming comparisons when that starts up.
I see nothing wrong with critiquing fashion choices on a gossip website?
Nothing at all wrong with that, Lorelai. Some of it gets downright personal and ugly though.
I figure if she looks OK, whether I like something is neither here nor there, but I know a lot of people get really into the fashion so I’m not going to judge them for talking about it!
And she is really boring with the shoes. And she does wear plates on her head instead of hats.
“Plates on her head instead of hats” 😂
Too true
But it goes beyond just, oh she likes boring shoes and lace dresses, to “God, what a total failure at life, how stupid do you have to be to always be wasting money on exactly the same outfit, can you believe Miss DumDum has buttons on her coat again,” in a sort of absurd escalation that the anonymity of the internet abets. I get that people are generally venting on her as an escape from their other stresses or insecurities in life, but I think there is an edge of meanness and cruelty that can’t be left behind on the internet, and that follows us into our interactions with people in real life as well.
You all know I think Kate is lazy. But I have to defend her hats. That is just the fashion in hats. Look up photos of Royal Ascot. It’s like how every second Hollywood starlet is showing her pants through sheer fabric these days (the fug girls call it pizza).
This definitely sounds like an event that would be in H&M’s wheelhouse, more so that W&K. I imagine Kate would be either overwhelmed and/or bored. Will could certainly handle it, but Harry is just more of the people person.
In the one of the documentaries about the Queen being 90yrs old, William described his first diplomatic reception where lots of commonwealth Ambassadors showed up in their traditional dress as strange because everyone was wearing *fancy dress.
*fancy dress is britspeak for costumes.
William, 30something man, doesn’t understand traditional dress when he sees it, and lacks the self awareness that would have prevented him boasting about it in a documentary celebrating his head of State.
I think the commonwealth deserves better than this numpty.
Lol..
Never has a better contextual story for understanding the word ‘numpty’ been created.
That’s so weird to me. Less so because of his age, but rather his wealth and opportunity. He’s been educated at great institutions and (should be) well-traveled and cultured. How disappointing.
Numpty is one of my favorite words. SO descriptive!
Numpty! HAHAHA!
Yeah, he is a numpty, isn’t he?
Well, William is a true grandson of Prince Philip.
Wait… so Harry and Meghan are now softening the blow of Brexit? What a weird twist.
@Annabelle Bronstein. Really is a high expectation. Like the saying goes the higher you rise the farther you can fall.
It really is a nice compliment by Buck House to Meghan that they feel she is capable of pulling this off while so new to the game. I definitely can see her studying up on her own prior and using what she learned while working in the US Embassy in Buenos Aires.
I’m kind of shocked that they are sending her on a diplomatic visit before she’s even tied the knot with H!
It is because they know that she is more than capable of handling it. She is naturally friendly, and she genuinely shows interest in people and puts them at ease, which is what you want at these functions. The 91 year old Queen can no longer stand on her feet chatting to people for hours. Charles and his wife are knocking 70 plus and they need the younger ones with more energy to help out at these big dos.
The idiots on DM are ranting that why can’t Anne or Sophie take Kate’s place. I am sure they will be there but the dignatories are sure to be more wowed by Meghan, and these events are all about keeping them on side and Britain relevant internationally.
I like Meghan and think she will do great, but most likely, it will just be making small talk with people…stuff like that. Mingling, pleasantries, etc. She won’t be handling anything heavy-duty, I assume (nor would W/K). She’s most useful right now for her “star power.” IMO
I love, love, love both Megs and Harry but I honestly think they’re standing in for the Cambs for the reasons Camila Tominey gave (she reported this first, and she used COULD not WILL). If Kate, at that time, felt up to it, I’m sure the Cambs would have done their duties and Harry and Meghan would have taken on a lesser role. But Kate is known to do nothing when she is very pregnant (if at that time babe3 in not arrived yet) or even more so do nothing when she is a new mom. So my guess is Harry and Megs will fill in during the Cambs absence. And I don’t think Meghan’ll just sit and smile and do small talk, it seems PoW is steering towards having Harry and Meghan take on more prominent roles just like the Cambridges. This commonwealth will be a test for this couple, IMO, to show their chops and to shine. The roles they take on, again MO, will be a precursor for what’s next. If they hold their own well, in future they’ll be entrusted with even responsibilities of the same level as the Cambs regardless of who is future king or queen. Harry has already demonstrated how much of an asset he will be to his brother during his reign (I strongly doubt William can be a successful monarch without Harry somehow holding his hand), I believe Harry’s ability to get lots of jobs done (and especially in cases where his brother has lacked the incentive) has given their father the confidence to trust Harry knowing well that what he puts his heart into gets done well, so he’s willing to trust him with some CHOGM responsibilities/duties as well.
@Anna, why is her work history any of your business? Do you believe you are entitled to know every event and aspect of her life history? For what reason is she accountable to you for this information?
She interned for like 3 months. Not sure it’s the opportunity some want to make it out to be.
Her internship at the US Embassy in Argentina has a slight “Melania Trump went to college” quality to it. Meghan was certainly an intern at the embassy, but there’s no exact time frame on how long. Meghan always says “a few months” or simply that she interned there without any mention of timeframe. Apparently she also perfected her Spanish while there, but of all the interviews and press she has done throughout the years, there’s no evidence of her speaking any Spanish. In some interview, someone asked her to if she could speak Spanish and Meghan slightly hesitated to answer and looked as though she hoped they wouldn’t ask her to say something.
Meghan majored in International studies at one of the top Universities in the world and did intern at a US Embassy. Since then she met with governmental representatives both at the UN and through One Young World. Not sure how that invites a comparison to Melania. As for her Spanish, while I doubt she would qualify as fluent I did notice that she would respond to Spanish Instagram comments in Spanish so she has some grasp of the language.
The internship is a small issue, the main point is that Meghan is very intelligent and the Palace is confident that she will be able to handle such an event. You don’t even need to have a degree in international relations, you just need to be well read, keep up with current affairs and be polite and personable and Meghan ticks all of these boxes.
How exactly can you get an internship in an US Embassy in Argentina without speaking the official language of Argentina? Don’t you have to prove your language skills in your application? And usually embassy staff are expected to speak the native language at a rather higher level.
Honestly, that sounds fishy.
@HH
Meghan likely speaks very good Spanish having learned it at prep school but she also may be rusty or not comfortable with her pronunciation. With her background she could definitely learn the language fluently with full immersion in 3 months.
@SV – The comparison to Melania and college is because the bigger picture can be verfied, but the details get murky. When people started delving into Melania’s time at university, things didn’t add up. Melania did at least attend university at some point, but which university, what she studied, and if she graduated hasn’t been answered in detail. In regards Meghan, MM certainly did intern, but there’s no timeframe given. I don’t doubt that she has some grasp of the spanish language, but that’s not the same as speaking it. If someone asks if one speaks a language and the answer is a straight yes, the assumption is either fluency, proficiency, or can easily hold a conversation with a native speaker. While Megan interned at the embassy and that’s commendable and a great opportunity, I think more is being made of it than is warranted.
@PrincessK – Yes, as I posted below, this event is more in Meghan’s wheelhouse than Kate’s. I just think people are touting the internship as more than what it is.
@Malako – Not necessarily. It helps, but is not a requirement. It depends on the individual’s role and if they will be interacting with the public. Also, as a student, internships are used to increase proficiency, but you’re not expected to have it.
@Jessica – I’m not sure if one can speak the language well, but also be rusty. That seems like an oxymoron. Not being comfortable with her pronunciation may be more to the point. She may have perfected her Spanish while in Argentina, but at this point that’s over a decade ago. She’s done a lot of press, particularly when Suits was a large phenomenon starting out. I’m just skeptical on her speaking abilities without any video of such (and particularly her hesitation when asked about it). Celebs who speak a second language have been recorded at some point speaking in said language.
I honestly don’t think I’ve seen anyone making her work at the embassy into anything more than what it is: an experience in international diplomacy that she can draw upon for her professional life.
I wish the Tumblrinas would make their bloody minds up. Was Meghan’s internship a teeny tiny insignificant little nonentity, or was it such a massive major thing she can’t possibly have gained it without some illicit underhand dealings? You can’t have it both ways. It’s like the Cumberotter stans claiming his wife is a powerful and influential Mafia boss who rules the entire world media with an iron fist, while also simultaneously being a broken down failed loser crackwhore who can’t even put a fringe theatre show together.
Occams razor: Meghan did what many intelligent, driven young people do, and landed a nice internship that was still just an internship. As for languages, it’s reasonable to assume a university student studying South American politics and pursuing working and living in South America would speak decent Spanish. It’s also reasonable to assume an actress living in Canada who’d had no reason to speak Spanish for many years would not speak decent Spanish. Do people not understand language skills need constant practice? After 40 years in the UK my mum now struggles to speak her native language! It would actually be unusual if Meghan’s Spanish was at the same level of fluency now as it was back when she was living there.
@Meggles, I do find the scrutiny of Meghan’s education to be interesting in that there is a persistent effort to…provide context for some of her educational experiences–or to diminish or deny them outright.
@Angelina, Suits was a long running TV series and had a regular following. None of us know what her aspirations as an actor were (you know for a fact that she wanted to be a “star”?), but MM was a lot more successful than most actors. She was gainfully employed during the show’s run, so your claim that she failed miserably is a drastic misrepresentation of the facts. Wouldn’t it be easier for your to just say “I don’t like her” than to create alternative facts?
Ah, @angelina illustrates my previous point so beautifully. Couldn’t have planned it better myself.
@Malako, Jan 29 @ 1.01, actuall yr post is inaccurate. All people at the American embassy in my country don’t speak a word of Luganda when they first get posted there. They learn the language the longer they stay and the more they interact with the natives.
@Angelina, Meghan was a double major in theatre and in international relations. On graduation, she interned for the US govt in Buenos Aires with all intentions of pursuing that career path. While back on vacation at home in LA, she was at a party when some friend introduced her to someone and said “you need to see this girl she is a really good actress” and that was the beginning of her career change. If you think Meghan failed miserably at acting, just try for a few days and get off of this site and try yrself to get an acting role even in a commercial in yr home town, you’ll see how hard it is. Ask the thousands of aspiring actresses that are languishing in Hollywood restaurants trying to be cast in anything and they’ll tell you how successful Meghan really is. Meghan was on prime time -prime time- for 7 years as a leading actress, that is huge. Even if she was a soap actress on daytime, still being on her show for 7 years would be proof of acting chops. If you think being on prime time for 7 years is failing miserably, ask daytime actresses that have unsuccessfully tried for years to break into prime time and they just couldn’t. It’s easy to sit on ones little computer and diss Meghan but I believe if one was at even the lowest star level than Meghan’s they wouldn’t be on their computer at 11pm typing and spewing hate.
What I don’t get is, with the few opportunities that she got before Suits, how did she finance herself? Wouldn’t she have gotten a a part-time job in international relations?
@Anna – International Relations is a field, not a job. So, yes she could have done something we don’t know about like provide research assistance to an organization. However, from what she said, she has done a stint as a briefcase girl for Deal or No Deal and she dabbled freelance calligraphy. She did the invitations for someone’s wedding, I wanna say Robin Thicke (?).
@Anna, why is her work history any of your business? Do you believe you are entitled to know every event and aspect of her life history? For what reason is she accountable to you for this information? Will knowing this information impact your life? These are all rhetorical questions, of course, but feel free to consider them.
@Olenna why do you even read gossip? Just applying your own logic here. Besides, I didn’t mean the question as negatively as you seem to read it.
@Anna, I could ask you the same. I take gossip as I read it and I read it because I find it an entertaining diversion. I don’t have a pressing need to know more than what’s already out there in the media or internet. Why? Speculation about celebrities’ lives and what I know or don’t know is not important to my life.
@Angelina….Meghan was not ‘unknown’ before she met Harry. She had many fans in the UK before Harry and although I had never heard of her my adult children knew who she was.
LMAO at this being the British governement’s strategy for Brexit, I guess H&M can’t be any worse than the inept, greedy, deluded shower that’s currently leading the country.
Honestly, being an Irish person these days is like watching a never ending game of how-badly-can-we-screw-this-up-tennis.
Word. Megan can’t be worse than our PM right now, tbh. Although I do think that we can’t afford to have Royalty — we’re too broke.
dodgy, over 50 thousand people, mostly elderly people froze to death in their homes last year because they couldn’t afford to turn the heat on. You are darn straight GB can’t afford them!
Ninks, what do you mean when you call someone a shower? Does it mean their ideas are all wet, or does it mean they talk a lot without saying anything? Or does it mean something else altogether?
A shower is short for a shower of bastards, iirc.
Sigh. 9% of our exports go to Commonwealth countries, whereas 44% of our exports go to EU countries. The Commonwealth is small in population size, and geographically dispersed (as opposed to that enormous trading bloc literally right next door). We are so shooting ourselves in the head. None of the royals are going to make more than the tiniest bit of difference here.
My other half works in food production here in Ireland and was at a work event/conference type thing recently and they were told that the UK has to import one third of its food from the EU as it cannot produce enough to feed its expanding population, I am in insurance and the effect Brexit will have on EU wide insurance agreements (non life directives) has been underestimated, so much work has to be done and I don’t know if people even realise the half of it. At this point I don;t know if there is enough time to negotiate all the agreements needed.
Oh, there isn’t. It’s a nightmare. We’ll still be dealing with this in 20 years. I’m also actually amazed that it’s only one third of our food that we import from the EU. (Not that that isn’t bad enough).
Well said Tina!
Thanks Princessk. Sigh. I wish we had been able to persuade more people initially.
I am from continental Europe. I fully acknowledge the UK’s right to decide on Brexit / Remain.
But I worry about the UK and its future. I doubt that Brexit it a wise move. Norway isn’t a EU member but they have to pay nearly as much as the EU members for access. I just don’t see the advantages in Brexit for the UK.
Not to mention that the Commonwealth will end – it is inevitable. The EU is the UK’s future. The Commonwealth is its past. Many Commonwealth countries will wait out Elizabeth (out of respect) and then look at becoming Republics. The ones that aren’t ready for it at that point will do it eventually.
Signed – an Australian.
There are 52 countries in the Commonwealth of which only 16 have the Queen as head of state. Those 16 are the only ones that will review the British monarchy choice of head of state. Their membership of the commonwealth isn’t predicated on having the Queen as head of state and unless they make a different choice with regards membership, there is no reason for them to be expelled from the commonwealth because they removed the British Monarchy as head of state.
The Commonwealth is an economic block that started out as countries with previous ties to Britain, but that’s no longer the case nor is it a prerequisite to join.
Further, the headship of the commonwealth is voted NOT inherited. The Queen is continually voted in out of sentiment and pragmatism, but there is no guarantee that her heirs will be voted in after her death. She has been lobbying hard over the past decade to turn that headship into an inheritance favouring the British monarchy and her heirs. We shall know the success of her lobbying efforts after her death.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37609806
https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/719623/Queen-criticised-lobbying-politicians-Prince-Charles-head-Commonwealth
Brexit still stuns me when someone in economics breaks it down and doesn’t try to make it seem better than it is. It will hurt for a long time.
An evil part of me thinks Britain deserves it after centuries of meddling and getting wealthy from colonizing brown countries and treating the population like dirt. The brutality of the slave trade has had left deep and lasting wounds all over the world. The indigenous people of North America were slaughtered and broken, and they started the whole mess in the middle east. Oh, and Asia and the entire continent of Africa or at least a large part of it suffered because of them but then vote to separate from the EU because of racism and bigotry.
The sun now sets on the British empire. The old days are gone. Most of the Britishness the voters love so much was built on those past days.
Maybe for those people, this is the wake-up call they needed.
But I love the UK, and so many of the people who are aware and forward thinking didn’t want this. I don’t want negative things to happen, but it is long past the time to be able to do anything about it.
Amen. A lot of British people conveniently only remember the history they choose to remember…
Honestly the British government is delusional if they think the royals have any impact on this kind of stuff.
Well, I think a lot of Commonwealth countries are waiting out Elizabeth II to look at being Republics at this point; but that’s as far as the monarchy’s real influence in this goes. In the end it comes down to what their people want and what works best for each country. Once the Queen dies a lot of the sentimentality for the Commonwealth will go with her. My great-grandparents’ generation fought in WWI for the UK, my grandparents’ generation fought in WWII (and when Australia was badly threatened by the Japanese the UK told us we couldn’t have our troops back as only the UK mattered – we only made it because the Americans came to our rescue); but those generations are sadly leaving us now. That feeling of connectivity is dissipating as new generations come into power. Why on earth would young generations want Charles as their official head of state based on the opposite side of the planet? It makes no sense whatsoever. The UK isn’t even a particularly strong trade partner for most Commonwealth nations.
most commonwealth countries are already republics.
This is completely logical. Of course W&K can’t schedule travel so close to her due date.
The conference is in London. No travel required.
Meh, London can still require a lengthy commute. Even so, it doesn’t make sense for her to book important meetings so close to her due date.
HoustonGrl: I’m not an advocate for those women who work until their water breaks so you won’t find any argument from me on that point with regards to Kate.
I simply wanted to point out that this conference is in London therefore travel isn’t a huge factor.
And whereas Kate gets a pass, i don’t see why William should.
They…live in Kensington Palace.
I looked up the dates but I have a feeling Catherine will have the baby during the first week of April. We’ll see.
Why is William going to go dark the first six months after the birth? He’s not having the baby.
I wouldn’t be shocked if she had the baby in late March.
I am British, with parents from other Commonwealth countries/dependants (Jamaica and Malta)and I voted for Brexit. I am well informed on this issues and although I live in the US, I do pay property taxes in the United Kingdom. I do not appreciate Ms. Markle’s comments on this subject in the past. It is our right as Britons in a sovereign nation, to determine our future, in the same way that people can disagree with the vote. That is the reality of life and what democracy is all about. As long as Ms. Markle keeps her political views to herself, I hope that she enjoys the summit and cocktail parties.
And it is also your right to suffer the consequences of making a bad choice.
That is your opinion, which you are entitled to. Britain survived before the common market and it will continue to do so after. Britain has survived a lot worse over more than a thousand year history and it will continue to do so. Have a great day!
@Keepitreal
The country will survive, but many of the people won’t.
Brexit it was a stupid, arrogant choice, pure and simple and a lot of people are going to suffer tremendously for it.
🙁
PS: Ms Markle was entitled as an independent, private human being to express an opinion on the pertinent topic of the day; whether certain people liked that opinion or not.
I mean really, she made that Instagram post before she probably even imagined marrying Harry and what it would entail vis a vis keeping political opinions to herself. If she said something yesterday, it’d be one thing, but it’s not.
So by your logic, why are some people in the public eye held to comments they made 30 years ago. Her opinion on the matter pertain whether she met Harry or not. I enjoy and welcome debate, but the British people will all survive (despite the previous poster’s dramatic comments). I was born before the UK joined the EU and we survived then and we shall survive as a people after. I wish you both a lovely Monday….got to get back to work, but this has been fun.
Stone age men survived, too … a good life isn’t just about survival. That is too easy as a counter argument.
What did Meghan say about Brexit?
Lorelai: she posted this to IG a couple of weeks after the Brexit result. Picture looks like it was taken during the brexit protest marches that took place immediately the result was known.
https://cdn.images.dailystar.co.uk/dynamic/1/photos/130000/meghan-markle-instagram-post-1154130.jpg
Repeat
And I very much do not appreciate someone who lives in another country, and will not have to suffer the consequences of Brexit, voting in the referendum.
Voting for Brexit is like punching yourself in the face.
And yet you live in another country and will not be affected by Brexit. Well done, you.
The brexit vote should have been limited to those actually living in the UK, and not everyone located around the world.
I currently work outside the UK, but will return full time, June this year. Should I not have a say either in how things pan out?
Not a problem in my opinion. If you intend to return to the UK and live here (in the short term, not just “one day”) that’s fine. Similarly, since the US taxes people on worldwide income, I have no issue with Americans retaining the right to vote even if they live abroad.
But saying that you should retain the right to vote because you pay “property tax” in the UK is disingenuous. That means council tax (we have no property tax) and no one pays more than £2000 per year (even billionaires on property worth hundreds of millions). And that means that the person is not renting out the property, either.
Dear Keepitreal, If you voted for Brexit you are far from informed.
MM posted a picture of a poster. What comments did she personally make on the subject?
Palace intrigue moment: I think Charles is more than happy to put Meghan & Harry up to the task because jealous William can’t stand when little brother one-ups him, and that may cause him to continue this spurt of work he’s done in the last few months. It’s just up to H & M to make sure that they aren’t found wanting compared to the other royals in terms of workload (since it’s so easy to outshine the Cambridges at this point).
Or maybe it really is the simple reason of it being very close to Kate’s due date and H & M happy to fill in for them?. Not everything has to be the result of jealousy.
I forgot about Kate’s due date!
Whatever says + 100%. There might be some brotherly rivalry, you know just like any other siblings, but this major jealousy I think is more imaginary than anything else. I believe Wills and Harry are Joe close than people think. If William has any strokes agains him, hating on his little brother is not one of them.
I’ve never seen/heard any compelling evidence of William’s purported jealousy towards his brother. I suspect very strongly that it exists mainly in peoples imaginations. 😀
Well this makes sense given that Kate is due to give birth in April. It wouldn’t be comfortable anyways for a 9 month pregnant woman to sit through an excruciating boring week of diplomatic meetings (this is what it sounds like to me) with a bunch of foreign heads of state in attendance. Kate and William get a pass on this one, but it doesn’t excuse all the other times they’ve gotten out of obligations for flimsy reasons.
I’m sure some women here probably have stories that they worked until their due date and you get my total admiration if you did.
I don’t see why William, future head of state which may include the Commonwealth, can’t show up.
To be with Kate? I know most people will think William is using Kate’s pregnancy as a reason to not do more work and that is totally valid. I have my suspicions. It might be also because Kate asked him to be there for her.
The image of William rushing out of a diplomatic meeting with many heads of state because his wife has gone into labor is pretty amusing I admit.
@Nic919:
I don’t understand why everyone is complaining though……..due date or not, I would much, much, much rather see Harry and Meghan attend this than boring Will and Kate.
I am very happy to accept whatever excuse they have for skipping the event. in fact, I encourage it!
Unless she is literally giving birth during the conference date, William doesn’t need to be there. We know he’s not the type to actually serve her in any kind of way. A few hours away from home isn’t the end of the world. It’s her third kid so she knows if delivery is imminent or not.
While I don’t think William is any good at socializing, he is going to have to deal with these Commonwealth leaders if he ever becomes king. He needs the practice.
No good reason, other than him being a numpty as LAK states above. If she headed to the hospital, he would be informed by staff, would leave the event, and get there in plenty of time. As the hospital will be staked out, it isn’t like the impending delivery would be “outed” if William left a meeting.
I’ve worked till my due date. But I’ve worked from home the last few weeks. I was in my comfortable clothes and slippers and taking as many pee breaks as I wished (many!). I was not wearing fancy clothes, high heels and the whole world was not judging how I looked.
I don’t remember Kate working in the last month or two of her previous pregnancies and I empathize. She probably doesn’t want everyone analyzing her big belly. So she gets a pass.
Pregnancy is not an illness, one can do all those things till the minute they give birth, Kate just doesn’t do any engagements because she doesn’t want to, not because it’s uncomfortable. I had 5 kids and I can testify to that. I am from the country side in Uganda and we basically live of our land, we are land dependent. And I would work my farm will the day I went into labor, and a week after having the baby I would be back on our farm working, tilling the land, planting or harvesting, whatever the season was. So no, Kate doesn’t get a pass for nothing. She did drop that HEG crutch pretty quick now, didn’t she? It’s only conveniently that severe when she needs to use it as an excuse to wiggle out of her royal duties. Same with her pregnancies and having a babies! And yes, both William and Kate are using these pregnancies and births to wiggle out of their royal duties. They didn’t get the titles king work shy Bill and Queen of lazy Kate for nothing, they both are very work shy.
It totally makes sense that Kate wouldn’t participate in this, given her due date. Why can’t William step up, though? I imagine he’ll be there for a lot of the less-glamorous meetings.
Depends on how close the meeting is to her due date. If he wants to be with to go to the hospital, then it makes sense not to go.
And how many other men can laze around at home just in case their wives go into labour? They usually arrange it so that when the call comes they can attend.
If he was at the meeting and she went into labor, then people would question why he was there. Also it is not unusual for a father to not work in the days around a due date.
Quite a lot of men do. I work in an industry where the top level are paid very high salaries (7 figures) and it’s pretty commonplace. No one complains when a rich actor does it.
Harry & Meghan made a point of mentioning the commonwealth during their engagement interview. I have a suspicion that they’re going to be used by the establishment to try to shore up the commonwealth countries whose citizens want to abolish having the Queen as head of state. The cynic in me can see Meghan’s race being used to try to reach out to the African & Caribbean nations.
A country that voted for Brexit doesn’t see the irony of imposing its head of state onto other countries! The Brits need the commonwealth to reaffirm their status as a ruler & it brings back nostalgia of the old empire. These countries barely benefit from it however. It would serve as poetic justice if the countries were to have their own Brexit & break away from Britain!
Unless my history is off, the 52 Commonwealth nations are now a VOLUNTARY association. Britain isn’t “imposing” anything on anybody.
A country that voted for BREXIT did so by a slim margin and had the British government paid attention to the issues facing its working-class in the north (the entire northeast vote LEAVE – the rich south voted REMAIN), or the EU had been a bit more willing to work with Cameron, BREXIT would never have happened.
The UK is really a bit more complex than that, you know?
Those countries have already “broken away” from Great Britain. They are sovereign states. They aren’t colonies any longer and haven’t been in a very long time. They run themselves.
As for Britain “imposing its Head of State:
“Currently sixteen of the member states are Commonwealth realms, with the Head of the Commonwealth as their head of state. Five others are monarchies with their own individual monarchs (Brunei, Lesotho, Malaysia, Swaziland, Tonga) and the rest are republics. . .The Gambia (2013) and Maldives (2016) are former members of the Commonwealth. South Africa and Pakistan left and later rejoined the Commonwealth.”
Imagine that: they can leave when they like and rejoin.
Exactly right, All About Eve. You’re not a cynic, just a realist who knows how the BRF machine plays people. They thinks the slavish devotion of English crowds will be replicated in Commonwealth countries. But here’s the thing: we are not force-fed propaganda on what seems a daily basis as the Brits. As well, the BRF is physically so far removed to be irrelevant. Our experience of these people comes from the occasional item on the news eg an engagement, or in women’s magazines. The people who turn out to see them also turn out for celebrities or politicians passing through – there is a curiosity value in seeing the real thing. And especially for a loved-up couple; it’s all crap but people go along with it.
Britain will need the Commonwealth countries for trade reasons; ironic when they dumped them in the 70’s for the then European Common Market. Of course Commonwealth countries will do deals. Who wouldn’t? BUT GB is just one trading partner, not THE trading partner. It’s not the 1950’s anymore, Britain is not ‘home’. In short, there is little to no emotional investment in Britain as countries have forged their own identities and futures. I’m sure Harry and Meghan will be very charming, as will other BRF members, at meet-and-greets, giving a couple of speeches. But will they be doing the hard yards diplomatically? Nah. Not enough knowledge. They are window dressing and people are meant to get off on meeting them.
I think H+M want to drift around the Commonwealth ‘helping’ with ‘royal magic’ aka not wanting to do bread-and-butter events in Britain, and also wanting less scrutiny.
In the short-to midterm, I think H&M will be more concerned with strengthening their bond, establishing extended family relations, and perhaps extending their own immediate family. TQ and Charles allowed W&K to take their time with the same things, so why would H&M be denied? I don’t think boondoggles overseas will be their top priority the first few years of their marriage. And, I think people are making more of H&M covering this event than what it is. IMO, they are showing their faces as we say in the military, covering down for senior family members. Simple. They’re not there to persuade or negotiate, and other commonwealth reps should be savvy enough to know this.
No, HM and Charles did not “allow” them to take their time. The Malta Lie is just that, a Lie. HM did not live in Malta for 2 years – she visited four times in two years while Philip was stationed there.
HM is known to sit back, wait for you to make your own mistakes, and come to her for advice. IMO Charles has no idea how to deal with temperamental William, who is like Diana and Uncle David in his petulant and whiplash reactions.
Many people in the royal family (and their current and former staff) always say the same thing – you set your own schedule. Their laziness is their choice. They choose to do less than the bare minimum.
If that’s the case, then my bad, nota. I’ve always thought the TQ and Charles allowed WK to get settled, so to speak, to avoid a CD replay. I still find it hard to believe the senior royals would allow the media abuse (talk of laziness and indifference) to continue as it has been.
I think it’s a little soon for this. Meghan still has training wheels for Royal life. But she mentioned in the interview that she was interested in the Commonwealth they may have had this in the works already. I think the other royals will be there, like Anne and Sophie. And I don’t think Kate was at the other Commonwealth meetings no matter where they were. Will and Kate, the future monarch and queen consort, should be there. William can go. And Meghan would do a better job than Trump when it comes to diplomacy.
I am surprised she’s attending something like this so early, but shows their confidence in the newest member of the team.
Meghan and Harry will do a great job.
Harry and Meghan look great together. He always seems so proud and assured. Meghan can handle the royal work easily. Best to both of them.
One, there is no empire. The empire was based on colonialism and slavery. The Queen is a figure head for most of the countries involved and in quite a few, isn’t that important. The only thing holding it together is trade and nostalgia.
@ Amy: Nothing you’ve said here hasn’t already been said, ad nauseam. Do you really know why you dislike MM so much? Do you have personal ties with the BRF and a vested interest in who Harry dates or marries? Why do you keep reading these articles if you dislike MM so much? Do you not have a local or national political representative with whom you can address your concerns about MM? Do you know MM personally or only of her from what you’ve gleaned from tabloids and gossip sites? I do not understand what you are trying to accomplish by repeating the same lies and distortions about her character. Do you realize that none of us can help you with your repeated complaints? Do you not get tired of expending so much energy tracking down MM articles and threads in order to repeat the same lies and distortions? Your obsession must be exhausting.
@Amy…I think you have taken a wrong turning this is not the Daily Mail. Grilling burgers? What are you insinuating? Her half siblings are proven liars, and yet you choose to believe them, what does that say about you? It is no surprise that Meghan dumped her former friend a while back. Who needs ‘friends’ who are willing to sell all the photos in their album for cheap profit. People who do that kind of thing are dangerous in my opinion, and Meghan should keep her distance from that kind. You also have a poor grasp of the facts, Meghan never said she never knew who Harry was, she said that she did not know him, that is did not know what type of person he really was. Just like all of us do not really know what members of the RF are really like.
Anyway Meghan and Harry know each other very well now and have fallen in love and are getting married and the anti Meghan campaign mounted by you and your friends under the bridge are not gonna stop it. I really hope that this does not stick in your throat too much but you are going to have to swallow it mate!
Re grilling burgers, the haters on RD were in a tizzy about a week ago over some men’s magazine video shoot that Meghan did in 2015 of grilling burgers while being provocative and it got them shook. The video is mild and PG13 at most.
I’m pretty sure Kate is thrilled about Meghan joining things. Sure, they may be some rivalry when it comes to media coverage and fashion but overall, we know Kate hates to work and having someone step in to fill the obligations AND take focus off Kate is something Kate will surely appreciate, especially in the months that follow the next baby’s birth. Kate does not conceal her feelings well when she’s photographed–usually her emotions are written ALL over her face and in those Christmas church walk pics, I think her smile and friendliness towards Meghan was legit.
Yachting and grilling burgers? You can’t dismiss her as easily as you want to.
Meghan Markel on Larry King.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtl9mnEoZUY
The comment they made about “the commonwealth” in their engagement interview made me think they had mutually sold each other on a throwback vision of travelling around amazing places “doing advocacy” and shoring up British interests. I would be extremely unimpressed if that’s what the they focused on. And I don’t see how an American really helps a commonwealth meeting – just causes all the nations that still have the queen as head of state to ask WHY.
Hmph. Grump over!
Ditto!!
Making the Commonwealth one of the main things they want to focus on means they get a lot of tax-payer funded holidays under the pretence of doing ‘work’. Meghan’s a world-traveller she is also smart she knows by focusing on the Commonwealth she and Harry will get to travel to some very exotic locations. Looking at her holiday Instagram snaps (before she deleted the account) she is fond of exotic, luxurious holidays.
@ Whatever
Alternatively, perhaps it’s been apparent for a while to the Queen/Establishment that Prince Harry has a gift for forging alliances with people of all strips, races and classes….perhaps they are making a strategic decision to harness that gift – they’ve done this before, see Harry’s successful representation of the Queen during the diamond jubilee tour.
His partner, Meghan Markle also seems to be showing signs of a similar gift/skill/ability.
The fact that they might “enjoy” this type of duty does not stop it being of benefit to the royal family or the U.K.
✌️✌️🙂
@Bellagio DuPont
You maybe right but I still think the exotic locations of some of these Commonwealth countries is what sparked their interest in wanting to focus on the Commonwealth. The actual work part of it was probably a secondary thought. Meghan is a jet-setter and I don’t think she will be happy doing just one foreign tour per year and spending the rest of the time in the UK. She’ll want to travel frequently, much like she did in her old life. Harry will be ok with frequent jaunts abroad because how many holidays has he been on in the past few months? I’ve already lost count.
@whatever
Yes, this is an accurate assessment.
@Bellagio DuPont
I can’t honestly think of anything H+M have to offer us that we cannot provide for ourselves – in effin spades – with our own highly intelligent, qualified and dedicated people. When royals visit, they are shown a good time, showered with gifts, make a half-hearted gesture or two of building bridges and then move on. H+M are charming but at the end of the day, it’s just talk that doesn’t mean much of anything. They should stay home and work for the British people, who for some reason, want them.
And be warned: indigenous peoples will be rising against them.
@Bellagio, ITA 1000%. The bar has been set so low by the Cambs that people are suspicious of anything other young royals do. Harry has been on several tours successfully representing his grandmother and the reports from BP have been that the Queen is well pleased with Harry’s work. I’m thinking that PoW is, as he eases into ruling himself, considered both his sons and Harry is proving to be a major asset to the BRF and I’m thinking TPTB are tapping into this and harnessing everything they can from Harry’s God given gifts.
@whatever, Meghan has travelled to a lot of countries but it was mostly to promote her show, it wasn’t like she was forking out these large amounts of money to go gallivanting around the world. I mentioned in one of my above posts my beliefs that the royal seal of approval for Meghan was not only based on Harry’s love for her but also on her resume. Meghan has done a great deal in keeping suits on air, not only in North America but also in other countries where it’s aired. The BRF are very aware of this and that her skills coupled with Harys skills are a real force that the royals are willing to invest in.
@Addie, the reason some people are politicians by profession is that they see a lot of things and potential where any lay person would not. There is lots of benefits in GB continuing to form more relationships not only in the commonwealth but also in EU or else where. Putting all their eggs in one EU basket was a mistake GB made and I think now they are wanting to try dividing these eggs so that if one falls, not all eggs are broken. Nobody said H&M will single handily bring about change, what we are saying is that they can be another crucial piece that might help solve the puzzle.
@ Whatever:
I’m just not sure what you’re objecting to……if the BRF needs / wants to take a more diplomatic approach vis a vis the common wealth, why not use members of the royal family who will enjoy the constant travel and are actually good at it? Sounds like a win-win to me.
@Addie
I’m not sure either H, M (or anyone else for that matter) have ever claimed that they have anything to offer that your country (or others in the common wealth for that matter) cannot offer itself.
You are clearly a republican, have every right to be exactly that and i respect that, so I won’t say much more than that to you as it would be pointless.
@ Masamf
You are so right on all fronts, especially wrt Meghan and her immediate assimilation into the family. The fact that she not only has some experience in advocacy, but is able to talk to a camera as well as large groups of people in that capacity (while remaining bright-eyed and bushy-tailed), is beautiful and multi-ethnic would all be considered strong +ves for her.
Balanced against the cons of her undesireable family and marriage history, I think she still comes out well ahead.
It sounded more to me like Charles may have discussed that idea with them, making it clear that that would be a big area of their focus.
Charles and Camilla won’t be doing it, their specialty is Middle East. W&K, well they only travel when it masquerades as a holiday. During those she says inappropriate things like, “oh how interesting” to deliberately-maimed begging children. With Sophie and Edward being moved out, it leaves The Commonwealth to Harry, where he has already been sent several times.
Good point nota! Yes, it does seem as though Charles has made the ‘East’ his speciality. We could now say that William and Kate are more suited to cold Northern Europe, which fits in with their personalities, I just can’t think that they would enjoy samba dancing in South America!
@Princessk
hmmm..I dunno, William and Kate seemed to have enjoyed dancing here.
https://media.giphy.com/media/8C6agdKEiew3m/giphy.gif
😉